welcome back. that's all for us tonight. tomorrow is the big day -- the floats, the parades, and the inauguration ball. that will be all right here on cnn as president barack obama is inaugurated for a second time. i can't wait. good evening, everyone. a big night tonight as washington gets ready for an even bigger day tomorrow, as many as 800,000 people expected. tomorrow morning, president obama will make the journey from the white house to this end of pennsylvania avenue up here to capitol hill. then at noon he'll rest one hand on a pair of historic bibles and be sworn in. he'll address the world and be welcomed into the history books. for the first time in a long

time, the first time since the ronald reagan second inauguration, it will all be a formality. that's because it happened on the 21st but law requires the presidents and vice presidents be sworn in on the 20th. so today, the 20th, in two quiet ceremonies they were. >> please raise your right hand and repeat after me. i, barack hussein obama, do solemnly swear that i will faithfully execute the office of president of the united states. >> the office of president of the united states. >> and will to the best of my ability. >> and will to the best of my ability. >> preserve, protect and defend. >> preserve, protect and defend. >> the constitution of the united states. >> the constitution of the united states. >> so help you god. >> so help me god. >> congratulations, mr. president. >> thank you mr. chief justice, thank you so much. >> chief justice roberts

administering the oath. last time, the chief justice fumbled the words, this time he nailed it. president obama using a family bible today. tomorrow he'll use the lincoln bible. a lot to talk about tonight, vice president biden took the oath earlier, his residence the naval observatory. supreme court justice sonia sotomayor doing the honors there. it, too, went off without a hitch. yesterday during a surprise appearance at the iowa inaugural ball the vice president did -- well, sort of a joe biden. >> i'm proud to be president of the united states. but i'm prouder to be -- excuse me. >> a few seconds later he corrected himself. just a short time ago, he, his wife and president obama spoke around town. the president's subject was hair, specifically michelle obama's new bangs.

>> first of all, i love michelle obama. and to address the most significant event of this weekend, i love her bangs. she looks good. she always looks good. >> president obama just earlier tonight. raw politics looking ahead to tomorrow and, of course, looking ahead at the next four years, we have a team of professionals here, who have seen a lot of presidential history being made. republican consultant margaret hoover joining us, ari fleischer, former president clinton adviser and mastermind, paul begala and president of rebuild the dream is here as well.

paul, you wrote an article in "the daily beast" i think it was today, you basically said, the president should say all the right things in his speech tomorrow about coming together and unity, and then he should go out and be ruthless? >> yes, yes. he famously hosted steven spielberg and daniel day-lewis and the stars behind the movie "lincoln." that is the lesson of lincoln, in his first inaugural he talked about appealing to better angels of our nature, then we went to war. he tried. president obama has tried. presidents have to try to change the culture in which they're placed. in this case, this division we have in the country is not going to be healed. it wasn't healed by president clinton who desperately wanted to. it wasn't heal by president bush. it has not been healed by president barack obama. you run the country with the climate you have not what you want. >> he should be ruthless? >> i think he has to pursue his agenda the way president lincoln did, with -- yes, with

relentless commitment but, of course, he'll say -- presidents have to be unifying figures, but i think the central political miscalculation was he actually thought his mere presence would bank those partisan fires. that's not so. >> when the president is talking about unity and working together tomorrow paul begala is going to be saying yadda, yadda, yadda in his head. do you buy that, that he should say one thing -- >> well, i think the more eloquent way to say this, is i think he needs to say that he wants unity. but not unity at all costs, there's something more important than people just getting along in this town. there are people hurting in towns across america. they deserve a better economy. he has to show the willingness to work with anybody, but also the willingness to work against anybody who stops him from doing a good job as president of the united states. that was missing last time. >> isn't that what republicans who say compromise is a dirty word and it's important to stand by your principles?

>> well, i love paul, he's outing the president's second term. >> it's the fundamental issue. is he going to strike deals with the president or does he decide that the only way to get things done is to defeat the republicans in the midterm election, to just run on politics, tactically maneuver, defeat republicans, don't worry about the nation, and do what he wants to do in the final two years? >> i am for striking deals, if you watch that movie, lincoln, you're for striking deals -- i'm for cutting deals, but i'm not just for saying everybody should come together because here i am. kumbaya. >> when you say be ruthless, if a republican, if a tea party member said be ruthless people would be screaming at you. >> i said relentless but -- >> anderson said ruthless. >> i wasn't quoting. >> i'm sure i did use that word. what that means is cutting deals. instead of saying let's reason together, give them something and take something. in other words, do the realistic

sometimes unpleasant work of running the country. >> and this is the magic that the movie "lincoln" illustrated. the passage of the 13th amendment happened in a far more polarized congress than the current congress we have. if they can do anything -- president obama is not going to have a major legacy piece in terms of legislative achievement if he doesn't have republican support. something has got to be struck. >> you don't see republican support. if you look at these polls, he's got 55% support overall among democrats. but among republicans -- let's take a look at this, approval 55%. if you look at how it breaks down among democrats, 9 in 10 democrats approve of him. that number one in ten. >> that's going to be the case for any president you have. the trick is, you have still find areas of common ground. it's going to have to be medicare and medicaid, the things that are making the nation go bankrupt.

these are sacrosanct for the democrats. >> here's what i think. first of all, i think that this president has figured out what it takes to get republicans to come with him, i think he spent too much time trying to be too nice. it's amazing to me to hear conservatives say he never reached out. if you're a democrat, you say he was reaching out to them more than he was reaching out to me. now he says, listen, the tougher i am, the more likely i'll have some republicans come with me. he was tough on the debt ceiling. he was tough on the fiscal showdown. when he got tough, finally boehner had to let republicans go his way. i think he wants unity, but the path to unity is not kumbaya, it's being tough and being clear about what he wants to get done for the country. >> second terms have not worked out how most presidents think they're going to work out. something happens, president bush the financial crisis, president clinton the impeachment. nixon, reagan, iran contra.

paul, another thing you said, the inaugural is another blueprint etched in sand? >> this guy's awesome. >> the great philosopher who the first to say, stuff happens. >> he cleaned it up. it's a family show. >> president bush, who ari served, president bush, in his first inaugural never mentioned terrorism. that was the topic that dominated his term. i reread eisenhower's inaugural, he gave a stirring speech about the cold war and confronting communism. probably the most important thing he did in his second term is send troops into little rock. not into berlin, but little rock to enforce desegregation. he signed the first civil rights law since the civil war. he hardly spoke about that in the second inaugural. he mentioned it, but hardly. i think these presidents have no idea what they're about to encounter and that's the nature of life. >> and outside events end up shaping the legacy. the president's maximum

political power and validation is right now in this moment and in the next year, and the question is, did he strike while the iron is hot, and take to the tendency which will be to appeal to the democratic base and try to ram something through, or does he do something which may be against his nature and try to reach out to republicans, work with maybe marco rubio on immigration, and try to have a real legacy. >> i think back to your former boss, i have political capital to spend and i'm going to spend it. do you see the same thing for president obama? >> i do. and the interesting thing is, mandates are that which you create as the president. you can create more and do more if you do well. if the economy comes back and you can convince people to come with you. but there's a wild card here. and it's iran. nobody needs to forget iran will be a major issue. president obama will likely have to wrestle with in a serious way. >> we want to thank you all. we'll continue to talk to you throughout this hour. we have breaking news now.

you can almost hear the celebrating in baltimore. because just moments ago, the ravens beat the patriots and are heading to the super bowl. the 49ers inched out their opponent for the trip to the super bowl. jim harbaugh played for a string of nfl teams. it is the first time in history this has happened. brother on brother matchup will be a heavy story line in the leadup to the game. we'll have a lot more coming up over the course of this hour, more inauguration coverage ahead. let us no he what you think. follow me on twitte twitter @andersoncooper. i'll be tweeting. the next four years, how has president obama changed the country and how has washington changed the presidency? is this the same man he was four years ago?

jodi cantor wrote a story about it, and joins us next.

in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. with hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents and endure what storms may come. let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested, we refused to let this journey in. >> president obama's first inaugural address four years ago, we're back in the first few hours of president obama's second term. four years ago, of course, at a time of crisis, he offered hope and promised change. four years later, some of that change is in himself.

"new york times" jodi cantor has written about it. she's written a bestseller, "the obama's" with us also tonight david gergen, he's seen presidential change from nixon to clinton. you've been writing about the obamas since they first came into office. the role that michelle obama plays for president obama in the white house, what is that role and how has it changed, if any? >> it's about the overall vision, this is not a first lady who bursts into the west wing saying, we have to do this and this and this policy. >> i heard she's rarely seen. >> rarely seen, the constructive thing to remember, is that she never wanted her husband to be a politician. and if he was going to be a politician, she didn't want him to become a regular politician. they talk a lot about getting past the washington noise, about why they came to washington. what they wanted to accomplish. early in the administration there was some tension over that, because she had one idea over what kind of president her husband should be, and some advisers had another.

that has softened now, but we still see from her this kind of defining aspect, it's almost like she's the guardian of the ultimate obama mission. this is what you're here to do, here are the standards i expect everybody to live up to. >> when she was talking to the french first lady she called life in the white house hell. is that correct? >> there's been controversy over whether that is true or not. this is somebody who was a hospital executive in chicago, who led a totally normal life who was catapulted into the national spotlight. what i found reporting my book, though, the great surprise of my reporting is that michelle obama was like the kid who didn't want to take the class, and then got the a plus. and some obama aides said she ended adjusting to this life better than her husband did,

because she kind of figured out the job of first lady, and even learned to exploit some of its limitations and really made it work for her. >> david? >> yeah, i wanted to ask you, i found it an interesting piece, one of the most insightful i read about the obamas. >> thank you. >> you wrote something very striking and that is that he tells others who may be seeking this job, that it's really hard to get change in washington. you said he has, quote, a contracted sense of possibility. that is to think smaller about what he might do. and yet in the same piece you outlined the agenda he's setting forward tomorrow in his state of the union, which is huge. he's been having these think big sessions in the white house with his people. how does one reconcile this contracted sense of what's possible with the big agenda? >> i think that is the suspenseful question about this second term, right? if we have so much trouble just with these budget fights in congress, and coming to common agreement when the states -- when the united states faces a looming fiscal deadline, how are we going to do something on guns if that's the president's agenda, might there be a

possibility of climate change, legislation, et cetera, et cetera. these are huge difficult questions that this president faces. >> how does he reconcile that? >> you've worked in the white house for a lot of different presidents, do you think the obama's experience in the white house is that much different than other presidents and first ladies? >> i think it's very similar what presidents recently have experienced. george w. bush came hoping to change the environment. bill clinton came thinking he could change it. the last person who began to sense there were greater possibilities was reagan, that was almost a different political age. it was harder to govern then. >> you also think about, had the clintons and how bill clinton -- he seemed to revel in politics, the reaching out to people. in the article, i found it fascinating that the obamas haven't had bill and hillary clinton over for dinner. i -- i mean, she's -- all the things that bill clinton did during the campaign, all the work that hillary clinton's done, they've never had a dinner at the white house with them?

>> i think this is something outsiders find difficult and surprising. the obamas can be vivacious, charming they have great public personalities. what people in washington see -- but i think people all over the country don't necessarily see it, there's an intro version there, a self-protectedness. the obamas said both when the president became famous in 2004 and again when they came to washington, no new friends, which is the opposite of what we expect from politicians. they generally succeed by making everybody their friend. >> some people like to be president because they enjoy the office, other people relish power. >> and isn't it true, after meeting with people, he likes down time by himself. >> absolutely. if we are looking at when this presidency happens, in some sense this presidency take place at 10:00, 11:00, 12:00 at night,

the second floor study in the private residence when the president sits for hours and hours. he turns over the problems of the presidency in his own mind. he writes about them in order to organize his thoughts. that's when he really makes decisions. >> does he enjoy being president? >> people have asked me that question again and again. there are things about it i think he certainly enjoys, and we can see him taking a greater relish in them. a very surprising moment you may have noticed is when he did that appearance on new years eve, right before the fiscal deadline, look, he hates budget fights, we know that. he was away from his family, during their holiday vacation, that was no fun, and yet the guy had a huge smile on his face. and that i think is something new we're seeing from barack obama, somebody used a great word to describe him recently. they said bloody minded. >> you use that word. >> somebody used that word to me and i repeated it in the newspaper. >> bloody minded in his fight with the public. >> exactly.

>> it goes to what paul begala said about being ruthless. >> yes, absolutely. thank you both. >> tomorrow this time, more inaugural balls will be underway. there's a lot happening right now. president bill clinton set a record for them in 1997, attending 14 inaugural balls on the night of his swearing in. do you know who started the tradition of inaugural balls? we'll tell you that answer, next.

so this weekend as we look ahead to the next four years, we should absolutely take some time to truly enjoy this next few days. i mean, the last one was kind of fast. so we've all agreed we're going to take some time to just breathe in and enjoy it. >> that was first lady michelle obama about two hours ago tonight. today was the 57th inauguration of the u.s. president, just the seventh time the official date fell on a sunday. what we have been watching today even we'll see tomorrow is a ritual that all americans grow

up watching, of course. no two inaugurations are alike, but they're bound by tradition, and that matters. the constitution sets the date and spells out the oath every president takes. as for the tradition that seems so familiar, let's take a look at where they came from. in 2008, more than 1 million people flooded the streets of washington, d.c., to celebrate an event that in many ways remains unchanged since washington was first inaugurated in 1789. >> here he is taking on a new post that the world had never heard of before. making his way from mt. vernon, virginia, stopping in georgetown, alexandria and trenton and eventually getting to new york city to get sworn in and suddenly they realized they didn't have a bible for the swearing-in, they had to conjure one up quickly from a masonic lodge. >> place your left hand on the bible and raise your right hand. >> since that first inauguration, the bible has been used to swear in almost every president. theodore roosevelt did not use one in his inauguration. some presidents open the bible

to specific passages, like bill clinton who rested his hand on galatia galatians, chapter 6, verse 8. some presidents use two bibles. the inaugural parade dates back to the days of george washington, but his parade was fairly small, not the spectacle we see today. >> i think the modern parade, what we'll be watching on monday really emanates from 1904 when theodore roosevelt had geronimo and apache warriors come and had fur trappers and outdoors people. since then, each year, the parade seemed to get better and better. ♪ >> in 1837 martin van buren became the first president to use hail to the chief at his swearing-in, which was held in march. march 4th was the previous inauguration date because it four presidents with lame duck

status. the tradition of the inaugural ball started with james and dolly madison in 1809. the tradition so popular, presidents starting with dwight eisenhower began holding multiple parties. john f. kennedy attended five inaugural balls in 1961. ♪ save the last dance for me >> bill clinton's second inauguration holds the all time high for 14 events. in 1949 harry truman was the first president to have his inauguration televised. an estimated 10 million americans watched. at the time it was the single most watched television event in history. presidents were now able to broadcast their speeches to the entire nation. >> the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. >> the very thought that a man in a wheelchair that had been stricken with polio that couldn't walk is trying to put optimism into our national lungs still continues to move.

you almost get goose bumps every time you hear fdr. john f. kennedy's famous 1960 address lives forever because it was written so well. and kennedy delivered it with perfection. >> and so my fellow americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. >> some speeches more memorable than others, but one speech in the inauguration that's been shared by every president, the oath of office. only 35 words long, its language appears in the constitution. it begins i do solemnly swear. >> that i will faithfully execute the office of the president of the united states. >> and will to the best of my ability. >> preserve. >> protect. >> and defend. >> the constitution of the united states. >> so help me god. >> so help me god. >> so help me god. >> congratulations, mr. president. >> thank you. >> best wishes. ♪

>> and we will see all of that tomorrow, presidential historian douglas brinkley you just heard from knows more than anyone about the 56 inaugurations that came before today's. he joins me now. you focus a lot on presidential history but inaugurations in particular, as particularly important, why are they so interesting to you? >> the first one with thomas jefferson here in washington, d.c., i mean, we thought the two political parties were going to destroy america. like jefferson and adams, here jefferson in his inauguration, reminded people, i'm not a republican or a federalist today we're americans. they become our great healing ceremony. we just had a brutal 2012 election cycle. and ostensibly for a couple days it's an opportunity to reflect on american history, reflect on our past and create a sense of unity again. >> you say one inauguration was the most raucous, what was that? >> andrew jackson, because he was the great commoner, the old hickory, the battle of new

orleans hero. and came in. when he got to the white house they were serving cider and things. people came in and trashed the place. he slipped out the back of the executive mansion as it was called then, today's white house, and fled to alexandria to go to gatsby tavern. that's existed there for a lot of years. >> george washington had the shortest inaugural address, 135 words? >> yes, that's all. but that first inaugural is one of the great moments in american history when he's tapped to be president and leaves mt. convenient en and does this long horse ride and carriage ride and took a barge to new york city and was sworn in. it's wrought with tradition. this is a time for people to be glad democracy works. and with new media today, the whole world's watching. it's just not a gaggle of people. >> the longest inaugural was william henry harrison? >> he gave this long winded speech and got ill from it. it was freezing weather and he

died only a month later from his own inaugural. you don't ever want to be ranked below william henry harrison. we do polls, presidents with one month. if you find yourself below him, you're in legacy trouble. >> what are you looking for tomorrow? paul begala talked about, he thinks the president should give lip service and use all the words about uniting and stuff, and then go out and be ruthless. >> well, i like that idea but i think most important is to have some kind of healing message. this is not a state of the union, you're not laying down a gauntlet. this is a president carefully reading lincoln's second inaugural, the poetry and language of it. i do think barack obama needs -- since the first one was historic, he may need to make this a historic speech, i would raise the specter of gun control. i would invoke women. women brought him into power with this election, got him re-elected. it will be nice to see a woman quoted once in an inaugural. >> thank you so much. fascinating stuff.

eva longoria was the co-chair of the president's re-election campaign. he's now co-chair of the presidential inaugural committee. she's becoming a power player, raising a lot of money for the president. and her journey from actress to activist. >> i did all this as an american, as a citizen of this great, great country. and because i'm an actress doesn't mean i'm not literate on the subjects i talk about. i decided enough is enough. ♪ [ spa lady ] i started enbrel. it's clinically proven to provide clearer skin. [ rv guy ] enbrel may not work for everyone -- and may not clear you completely, but for many, it gets skin clearer fast, within 2 months, and keeps it clearer through 6 months. [ male announcer ] enbrel may lower your ability to fight infections. serious, sometimes fatal events, including infections, tuberculosis, lymphoma, other cancers, nervous system and blood disorders, and allergic reactions have occurred. before starting enbrel,

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the folks on the national mall getting ready for tomorrow's festivities. and as many as 800,000 people expected to be out here on the national mall tomorrow listening to president obama. one of the reasons president obama's getting a second term is because of the hispanic vote. it helped carry him to victory. a voice that's emerged as a strong activist for latinos, actress eva longoria is co-chair of the presidential inaugural committee, also co chair of the president's re-election campaign. was one of the biggest fund-raisers and bundlers for the latino community for president obama. she spoke at the democratic national convention, where she talked about her family and she said her biggest priority, of course, is education. >> college was not an option, it was mandatory. even though we didn't have a lot of money, we made it work. i signed up for financial aid, pell grants, work study,

anything i could. and just like our president and first lady, i took out loans to pay for school. i changed oil in a mechanic shop, i flipped burgers at wendy's. i taught aerobics and i worked on campus to pay those loans back. >> cover story, front-page story in the "wall street journal" this weekend talked about how she's becoming a power player here in washington. earlier this weekend i spoke with eva longoria. you must be incredibly excited. you're going to be sitting on the stage on monday watching the swearing in. >> yes. this is my first inauguration. i didn't even watch it last year -- i mean in 2008 because i was working. this is really the first time i'll be experiencing it. >> i know election night you said that you cried and you actually tweeted a picture of your friends celebrating, what do you think you're going to be thinking when you sit on that stage? >> i'll probably cry again.

>> you'll be in tears. >> i'll be in tears again. i'm very emotional that way. it's an honor to be involved in any way in this whole process. >> "wall street journal" this weekend front page story, eva longoria's next role, hispanic activist in washington. it also says you're becoming a power player in washington. is that a conscious effort? what does that mean? what do you see? what do you want to -- >> is that a conscious effort? i don't know what that means. you have to be careful with labels, i think, when people place -- anoint you in a way, it's great. but at the same time, you know, you've got to still do the work. >> you're co-chairing the inauguration, you have events at the white house, at vice president biden's house, an event with republicans and democrats, a bipartisan luncheon. what do you hope to -- do you see yourself running for politics one day? >> no, you know, i love serving in the capacity that i'm serving

now. i always say the power is with the citizen. i think, you know, i grew up with a family of volunteers and volunteerism was really big in my family early on. i'm going to continue to serve my country in the way i can. i have a tremendous amount of respect for politicians. and what they do, what you do, journalists. >> don't try to butter me up. >> no, this is your day job, this is what you do. this is not my day job, i don't want anyone to think i consider myself on par or equal to what they do daily. >> you couldn't see your -- you don't see yourself running for office? >> not any time soon. i love to serve my country in this capacity and however this administration or any administration asks me to do so. >> to you, what does this inauguration mean? >> for me, this election was about moving the country forward. that's with a slogan of obama's campaign. but there really were two very clear choices regarding a lots

of issues, whether you were a woman, whether you were gay, a minority, a latino. this election represents that, we're going to move forward as a country. >> the world of washington politics, is it very different? is it completely different than -- >> completely different. completely different. >> how so? >> i always say this is a greater soap opera. >> washington is the greater soap opera? >> yes, yes. it's a really hard place to navigate. you know, any time i'm here in this -- in d.c., and doing something political, i feel like it's relevant. i'm not saying my day job is not. there's a place for entertainment and creating emotion and creating a release and an outlet for people to step away from the real world is also honorable, i think. but this is -- yeah, it's a very interesting world over here. and hollywood -- hollywood can chew you up and spit you out,

but it's a little easier to navigate. >> hollywood's easier to navigate? >> 48d- hollywood, absolutely, yes. >> do you find -- some people role their eyes when they hear about an actress or actor becoming involved in politics. do you find that's a hurdle you have to overcome? >> constantly, constantly. yes. people say you're an actor, stick to acting. if you're a dentist, are you going to do teeth? i did all of this as an american, as a citizen of this great, great country. and because i'm an actress doesn't mean i'm not literate on the subjects i talk about. >> do you feel like you understand this town? or you -- do you still feel like you're in the process -- >> i'm still in the process, i'm still a student of it, yeah. very much so. >> but you like it? >> but i love it. oh, gosh i love it. i think it's fascinating. i think y'all are fascinating. i think this whole place is. >> this is a town of party

affiliation. >> yes. >> and there's so much gridlock. >> right. >> we've seen this endless gridlock. when you see it up close, what is it like coming into this? how do you see this gridlock? do you think it's -- is there a possible -- is it possible to find common ground? >> i think it's a really good point. i'm extremely hopeful action will be taken, i'm extremely hopeful that policies will get through and the bureaucracy and the gridlocking would stop, i do. but i'm romantic about politics. >> you're romantic about -- >> are you? you're not. you're pretty -- >> no, i try to operate in a world of facts. >> you're a realist, i'm an idealist. i like to imagine a world where, yes, we absolutely can get it done. >> and she will be on the platform with president obama watching tomorrow as we all will. coming up, presidential life in pictures. this will be fascinating. two former white house photographers capturing some of the most iconic moments of a

president's -- we're going to show you remarkable behind the scenes photos and they're going to talk about how they captured them. also, first lady of fashion. michelle obama got rave reviews for her inaugural gown last time around. we'll take a look at how the first lady's fashion has evolved over the years and what it means to designers in this country. we'll be right back.

we want to give you a glimpse of a presidency from behind the camera. some behind the scenes things you often don't get to see. white house photographers are there to capture it all. the quiet moments, the family time, the oval office meeting.

the iconic images of a presidency. i'm joined by two greats, two former white house photographers who photographed the clinton presidency and david jean kennerly who was the white house photographer during the ford administration, they're producing the official second barack obama inaugural book. you took a very unusual photograph of an angry president clinton. explain what was going on? >> it's a picture i wanted to take from the beginning of covering clinton, temper was a big part of who he was. he's got a great sense of humor, he's got a great focus, but you have to capture it all. your job in the white house is -- you get the complete look, and -- >> that's david gergen in the corner? >> it is. that's david. he's kind of a mewes, he's out of the range.

>> is that george stephanopolous? >> it is. when this started, once you worked around clinton, and i'm standing behind george, and i started thinking in my mind, this is my chance, i'm going to make it this time. i can try it, but i was really a little afraid. >> were you nervous he would direct the anger toward you? >> absolutely, no, no, if i wasn't working with a little range finder -- i didn't frame the picture, i cut off clinton's hand which i wouldn't do normally. i'd try to include it. i put it back down, i was like, whew, i got away with it. >> you got it. >> yes. i only did it once. >> i want to show a picture you took of ford in his pajamas, it's the ultimate proof of the intimacy and how presidents become with their official photographers. how do you blend in and get a photo like this? >> well, president ford was a man without vanity, really. that's not a picture they're going to bring the pool in to photograph, it was with don rumsfeld on the right, who at

the time was ford's chief of staff, early morning meeting in japan, and, of course, this is the photo that kept him off the best dressed list. but he was comfortable, he never told me he didn't want a certain picture published or anything. he was great to work for for a photographer. like with bob, they forgot we were in the room. >> you also have a very upclose picture with the obama's on inauguration night in 2008. in a very private moment in the elevator between the two. can you take us inside this moment? >> this picture was -- in fact, it was four years ago tonight. and the obama's were going to like number eight of ten balls. and she was chilly. it's like a photograph taken after a high school prom where the gallant guy gives his date the coat. i think this picture goes straight to their relationship also. it's a very warm relationship. you don't get to see that publicly too much.

one of the advantages of being backstage. i didn't -- that remains one of my favorite pictures. >> you took a number of photos during traumatic times during the clinton white house, during the travel office scandal back in '93 and right after the first monica lewinsky scandal in 1998. you see these pictures as a pair in a sense, how so? >> well, it's one of the things that david and i, people who work in the white house do. we're there for years. i mean, most photographic assignments are -- can be hours or minutes. they used to be a week, national geographic can be more, but i took this first picture in 1993 and then i can remember when i first saw the picture in 1998 at the -- after the state of the union, and remembering that the connection to this other picture. and it said a lot to me about sort of, you know, how people react. the human nature of people, i mean, the connection is mrs. clinton. mrs. clinton in the center of the travel office, it was a

traumatic time, she was held responsible for that. we had just come to washington, it had gotten away from them, like things do in washington, things get away. the one on the right from '98 was a -- you know, that's self-inflicted and now everybody thought we're going to get on a roll and all of a sudden it became so overwhelming again. >> you took photos of george w. bush that you see as book ends, an intense bush family during the disputed election with al gore, and then at the end, president bush leaving the white house as president. >> yeah, the first one was backstage election night in austin, texas. al gore had already conceded the election, but five minutes after that photo was taken, he called back and took it back which led us to that whole hanging chads scenario.

but the final picture, the one that was taken four years ago today is george w. bush, last day as president walking out of the white house. to the right is president-elect obama and what struck me about that moment was that bush never looked back, it's like, he threw the keys to the place over to obama and that was it. >> fascinating. >> it's, to me, a very powerful moment and also, again, goes to the transition of the power of the united states. we have one party going to the next. it's peaceful, you and i have both been in places where the transitions are more difficult. >> that's for sure. it's fascinating. thank you for taking the time to talk about these images. thank you so much. in the last four years, first lady michelle obama's had her picture taken countless times, it goes with the territory. and it comes with the pressure every modern first lady has faced, fair or not, style much waers are always looking. we heard headlines around the world when she had bangs on her 49th birthday. the fashion police are never far away, you can be sure.

they're sizing up what she's going to wear tomorrow. and there are a lot of fashion designers on the edge of their seat. they don't know if she's going to wear their style. here's randi kaye. >> reporter: she's often called the first lady of fashion, whether it's target, talbott's or high-end designers, michelle obama always makes a statement "lucky" magazine's fashion director, alexis brian morgan. >> i remember seeing a picture of her in brazil in a one shouldered rachel roy dress with black and gold wooden bangles, quite frankly she looked kind of hot, but still very appropriate in her role. when have you ever said that a first lady looks hot? >> mrs. obama wasn't always a darling of the fashion world. sure, she knocked our socks off with that ivory one-shouldered inaugural ball gown. but in the early days of her husband's first term, she was often more buttoned up, suits

and separates first gave way to sheaths and those pearls a la jackie kennedy. >> she loves fashion forward jewelry, she still wears pearls and mix things together. she'll wear a cardigan. it's not just the twin set, she mixes things together. and wears it with a vintage belt, there are elements that are definitely feel jackie ochlgt, but she has completely her own twist on everything. >> reporter: alexis believes mrs. obama started out wearing what she thought she should as first lady and then started taking more fashion risks as she settled into her role here at the white house. bold colors, patterns, pointed toe flats and, yes, neon nail polish. >> her nail polish was just a great talker as her tracy reese dress. >> she wears a lot of clothes that have metallic sheen on it, the lights are on her, and it reflects the light. and it looks -- catches her skin in a beautiful way.

that's another thing she does that's really smart. >> alexis says mrs. obama's signature style has evolved into what she likes to call lady like with a twist. the look most often includes skirts and dresses that are circular, lots of florals, texture and jewel tones and, of course, sleeveless to show off her toned arms. it's a high fashion frenzy on her blog, she's wearing everything from jason woo to michael kors. many women say it's her every day style that has such appeal. >> people definitely love her style, because it's relatable. they'll see her wearing a j. crew cardigan they walked by at the mall and they can go get it themselves and look just like the first lady. >> reporter: since michelle obama never fell into a so-called first lady uniform or settled down with one designer, style watchers are always wondering what she'll wear next.

randi kaye, cnn, washington. >> look at the styles of michelle obama, we'll have more from the national mall, talk to some folks in the crowd when we come back. we'll be right back. [ female announcer ] born from the sweet monk fruit, something this delicious could only come from nature. new nectresse. the 100% natural no-calorie sweetener made from the goodness of fruit. new nectresse. sweetness naturally. new nectresse. so if ydead battery,t tire, need a tow or lock your keys in the car, geico's emergency roadside assistance is there 24/7. oh dear, i got a flat tire. hmmm. uh... yeah, can you find a take where it's a bit more dramatic on that last line, yeah? yeah i got it right here. someone help me!!! i have a flat tire!!!

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we're down on the national mall. there's probably about 100 or so folks waiting out here in the cold. we're anticipating about 800,000 here in the mall tomorrow. where are you from? >> new jersey. >> have you ever been to an inauguration before? >> no. >> you brought your son? >> yes, i did. >> why did you want him to be here. >> i want him to be a part of history. >> do you think you're going to get a good spot